November 27th, 2016 | Great Granddad’s 85th Birthday

Alexander is engrossed in an ABC video as we travel in Aunt’s SUV to great grandfather’s house.Me, Alexander and his great Grandfather.The cake.The family watch great grandfather arrive.The doorman.Here I am. Come rain or shine. Let’s party.Back at granddads house Alexander stands in front of the new TV. His grandma Mai watching over from above.

Northern Kaohsiung. Taiwan.

Sunday. Rainy. Windy. 20°c.

9:40 a.m. We set off on a cold rainy and windy morning to Alexander’s great grandfather’s home. It’s his 85th birthday today. Chia’s aunt, mom’s younger sister and husband are taking us there. Despite the rather miserable weather it should be a festive day. However as I sit in the back passenger seat of aunt’s SUV I am thinking we are one person less today. This time last year mom was sitting here with us. I wonder if the others have thought about this. I guess so. Although soon we will pass the distant towering chimney stack of Kaohsiung’s crematorium. So I’m sure that will be a somber reminder. But hopefully in one form or another mom is already at her father’s home in spirit or memory anyway.

10:00 a.m. Alexander is sitting next to me engrossed in ABC songs playing on his Samsung tablet. Chia is busily chatting away with her aunt and uncle and me … I’m just chilling ‘back if the bus’ listening to the rain pelting on the roof as the SUV cruises down the freeway through a rainy countryside.

11:00 a.m. We arrived at great grandfather’s and sat down to drink green tea and watch Alexander run around and around as other relatives began to arrive. By 11:45 grandfather’s house was packed with family members.

11:50 a.m. We all, 20 something people, set off to a local restaurant and dinned for about 1 hour or so.

2:00 p.m. Returned back to Grandfather’s house for a birthday cake. Everyone sang the birthday song and we all were off Again heading home.

4:00 pm Arrived home feeling pretty tired. Still raining cats and dogs outside and the air getting colder.

7:00 pm.Alexander was knocked out by 7pm. That was a big day for him and me. Early night for me too. Back to work tomorrow.